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A.- E. BLOCK. suPromron THE ANTERIOH METATARSAL ARCH OF THE F001. AFPLlCATlON FILED DEC. 20. 1915.

Reissued Mar. 1, 1921.

fliieai. K Inueniof f1 lexandrllfil d v flitorneg side of the insole conformation UNITED STATES ALEXANDER BLOCK,

Specification of Reissuod Letters Patent.

genr orriclz.

OF ST. LQUIEi, MISSOURI.

original No. 1,127,349, dated February 2, 1915, Serial No. 699,512, filed. May 24, 1912. Application for To ([lZ'ZU/LOHL it may concern-,-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER it. .ELUUK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, liiiissouri, have invented certain new and useful lmnrovelnents in Sun ports for the Anterior ilctatarsai Arch. of the Foot, of which the following is a specifieation.

My invention relates to improvements in supports for the anterior metatarsal arch of the foot, and has for its object to provide a flexible and adjustable support for the anterior metatarsal arch of the human ioot, to beseated in a shoe.

In the drnwings- Figure l is a bottom plan view of a support embodying; my invention. a

Fig. 2 is a transverse seetionai View of the same, taken on the iine of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, .I. employ a flexible insole or supporting member 3,

which is adapted to be loosely seated in the.

shoe of the wearer, its length being such that it extends from a point beneath the heel of the wearer, to a line beneath the anterior metatarsal arch of his orher foot, being a line located shortiy to the rear of the ball of the foot. Upon the lower face of the insole 3 I provide a series of overlapping pockets l-'-L, each which is adapted to receive and hold one orinore of the thickeners or inserts 5; the pockets 4& being arranged as shown in the drawing transversely to the insole 3, the mouths of the pockets 4r-4l being open toward the By means of this construction, I am enabled to shift the inserts 5 from one to the other oi. the pockets or to provide one or more oi saiil inserts for each of said pockets, as the condition or the anterior metatarsal arch o1 the wearer may indicate; the adjustment enabling the user to adjust the thickness of the support into with the requirement of the Wearers foot, which requirement may ire due to natural imiliiirniatimi, to accident or to disease. The inserts 5 are of any desired conformation, and may lie of any width and thickness; winch the pockets 4: Wlli aeeonr modate. They need not lit closely in the pocket 4 because of the ioeation of the mouths of the said pockets, and because when once in place they are heid in placeig the pressure of the foot oi wearer. Lilli LEU dimensions of the pockets, noweve-., may as reissue filed December 20, 1915. serial No 67,901.

Reissued Mar. 1, 192:1;

varied to-accommodate various conditions of the anterior metatarsal arch, so that both the conformation and dimension of the per fete -l and inserts 5 are innnaterial, and may be made as desired without departing iroin my invention.

I The adjustment of the thickness of the insole may be accomplished by securing the inserts 5 in place beneath the insole 3 by an suitable means, but preferably by non-a hesive means, which will permit the removal or shifting of the inserts 5 to any desired point aiong the line of the anterior metaarsai arch of the wearer.

As shown in the drawings, the inserts 5 and pockets 4- niay be of such conformation to permit. said insertsti, when'seated in place, to assume an overlapping position, so providing a broader support for the part of the arch requiring such treatment than that afforded by a singie insert (see sectional View, F1 arranged transversely beneath the flexible insole 3 and each pocket serves as a retain ing mechanism to keep one or more inserts 2). The series of pockets 4: is

or thickener-s in place beneath a particularj;

point or part of the wearers anterior metaby means permitting one or more inserts to be temporarily and movably mounted or secured at various points beneath said arch.

The form and structure of pockets illustrated in the drawings is not material to my invention, the essential element is the insert, and that insert may he formed as "desired and secured in various isolated, or grouped or overlapped positions upon the- "isole by any desired and equivalent holding means, other than pockets, Without departing from my invention.

As shown in the sectional view, Fig. 2, the device of my invention is adjustable in thickness at that point beneath thearch which is under treatment without ilisturlr ing or varyini the thickness of the structure toward or at its outer marginal edges.

Thus, as shoWn-'in .;l i 2, the two pockets 4 at the left are in attened. or collapsed condition while ,.tlie two of said pockets 4 at the right having beenprovided withinserts 5 give increased thiclmessto my structure at that part o'f'the insoie 3 alone. Thus I provide alocal thickening that eannotbe accomplished-b a single insert thrust be neath the inso e from either of its outer" marginal edges.

Havmgthns described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to have secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent, is-- 1. In adevice of the class described, the

combination of a flexible insole mounted beneaththe anterior metatarsal arcliof the foot of the wearer, and a series of superimposed and overlapping members forming pockets mounted on the lower face of said insole, and Insert members adapted to he removablyseated 111 52nd pockets.

. 2. In a support for the anterior metatarsal arelna flex ble insole in eomhination with an insert-and means for detachably holding said insert to the insole atany one of various points along the line of the anterior metatarsal arch. l

3. In a. support for the anterior, metatarsal arch, a flexible insole, a transverse line of pockets'beneath said insole and along the line ofithe anterior metatarsal arch, and an insert adapted to be seated in any one of said pockets.

t- In a support for theanterior metatarsal beneath said arch; and inserts adapted to be arch, a flexible, insole; a series of. inserts;

and means for holding said series of inserts in overlapped position upon said insole along the l ne of said arch.

5. In a device of the class described, in

combination, a flexible insole having a por- 40' tion located beneath the anterior metatarsal arch of the wearer; a series of pockets adja- 9 cent to each other and arranged transversely removahly seatedin said pockets.

6. In a support for-"the anteriormetatarsal arch, the comhination of an insole: a series of inserts; andi'neans for temporarily holding one or more of said inserts on the insole,

beneath the anterior metatarsal arch of the wearer. v

7. In a support for the anterior metatarsal arch, a flexihleinsole; a series of Inserts; and

"means for ,holdingsaid series of inserts in;

overlapping position at various points upon said insole along'the line of said arch.

8. In a support for the transverse arch of r the foot, the eomhination of a flexible insole having a "POX'UOITE located beneath the ariterior metatarsal arch of the foot of'the wearer. and means for adjusting the thick ness of the insole at a plurality of areas along the jline of'said anterior metatarsal a rch. substantially as descri lied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my na me to this specification.

a ALEXANDER BLOCK. 

